Baby walker



nFan. 27, 1948. w. C. TROENDLE BABY WALKER Filed Aug. 2, 1945 2Sheets-Sheet 1 WILIEQKAM Jan. 27, 1948. W. c. TROENDLE 2,435,022

BABY WALKER Filed Aug. 2, 1945 2 Sheets-SheetZ Flg. 3

I N VEN TOR.

Patented Jan. 27, 1948 BABY WALKER William C. Troendle, Gardner, Mass.,assigner to Thayer Company, Gardner, Mass., a corporation ofMassachusetts Application August 2, 1945, Serial No. 608,426

9 Claims. (Cl. 28o-47) This invention relates to wheeled vehicles forinfants, such vehicles being commonly known as baby walkers orstrollers.

The principal object of the invention resides inthe provision of a newand improved infants vehicle of the type described embodying a lighterweight and at the same time more rigid and longer lasting construction;vthe provision of an infants vehicle having a spring seat preferably inthe form of a bucket type seat, mounted on a spring rod frame andembodying a lost motion supporting connection for a central longitudinalstabilizing rod directly under the seat, said rod also forming aconnection point for a detachable pusher handle; and the provision of abucket or other type of s'eat mounted on a spring rod frame and having aleg dividing extension suspended from a device at the forward end of thevehicle, said device being ln the nature of a tray or the like.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view inside elevation illustrating the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thru the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view on a reduced scale;

Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation;

Fig. 5 is a detail of the tray support; and

Fig. 6 is a detail of the pusher connection to a wheel shaft.

As shown in the drawings, the present invention embodies a vehicle knownas a baby walker and having a pair of rear wheels I0 mounted on a shaftI2,to which is secured the ends of a light weight spring frame in theform of a triple loop. The frame extends at both ends from the shaftl I2upwardly and forwardly as at I4 to a point at the front of the vehiclewhere it is curved reversely as at I6 forming a generally vertical loop,and then extends rearwardly in the form of a horizontal U or loop as atI8. The closed end of the horizontal loop will be seen to be springy. asillustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 so that the occupant of thevehicle may spring up and down thereon.

At the front end of the vehicle there are provided a pair of swivelwheels which are mounted to depend from a cross rod 22 by means ofbrackets 24, the latter mounting swivel pins 2B provided with springs 28for the purpose of cushioning the front end of the carriage. A

2 bumper 30 is arranged in any desired way but preferably on the crossrod 22. A removable foot support 32 may be mounted on the rear axle I2and the cross rod 22.

A longitudinal central rod 34 is secured to the cross rod 22 and extendsrearwardly therefrom terminating in a free end having a hook 36. AU-shaped removable pusher handle 38 is provided with notches 40 fordetachable securement over the shaft I2, and this pusher is providedwith a bracket 42 having an aperture therein for reception of the hook36. Also, each leg of the pusher is provided with a pivoted link 4Ihaving a bight 43 for reception of shaft I2 to rmly anchor the pusher.AThe pusher and rod 34 and cross rod 22 act as a stabilizer for thevehicle.

The seat is of the bucket type and this seat is generally indicated inthe drawings at 44 and is provided with a curved flange 46 extendingover the frame I8 at the closed end thereof. A pin 48 is secured to thebottom of the seat at 50 and extends through an opening in rod 34 forvertical movement therethrough (see Fig. 2). A spring 52 yieldinglymaintains the rod 34 in position together with the head of pin 48. Theseat 44 extends forwardly at 54 leaving a sumcientamount of leg room ateither side thereof as seen in Fig. 3. The forward extension 54 isdirectly above the longitudinal rod 34. At the forward end of theextension 54 the latter is secured to a curved bar 56 which extendsgenerally upwardly terminating in a handle for the occupant indicated at58. The bar 56 is secured as at 60 to the tray or similar member 62 anda rod 64 extends across the bottom of the tray. The rod 54 in turn issecured to the U-shaped spring frame at I8 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

From the above it will be seen that this invention presents a new andimproved construction in baby walkers, increasing the rigidity andstability thereof, providing a light weight but strong seatconstruction, and a novel and improved arrangement of the handle andspring support for the seat.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof. I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a wheeled shaft, a .springrod frame having a triple loop form and a pair of ends, said frame beingsecured to the shaft at said ends, wheeled means supporting the frame ata point remote from the shaft, a seat suspended from the frame to springtherewith, a central extension on the seat, and means suspending saidextension from the frame, said means comprising a generally vertical barsecured at the lower end thereof to the extension, and a member securedto the bar and extending substantially across and secured to the frameabove the extension. Y

2. A device; ofthe/l class described' .comprising a spring rod" frame,wheels therefor, a se'at suspended from the frame, a, cross bar securedto the.v frame, a free-ended longitudinal rod secured at one end to thecross bar and extending under,LT the Seat, a resilient connection fromthe seat to the longitudinal rod, a pushereand'aiconiectiii" between thepusher and the 'freeends'oftfierlori 15j` gitudinal rod to aid insupporting the latter.

3. The device of claim 2 whereinrthezpusheriv and rod connection isseparable. Y

4. The device of claim 2, including a sh'atfor'^ certain of the wheels,said pusher haring a detachable connectio'ni to `theslriaitjian'd the'pusher androdi'oonnection being effective topeveiit d`' tachment ofthepusheran'd shaft"-connection;1l

5. A baby walker comprising generallyffushaped springl rod frame;ase'a't suspended'- from thefframe at the" closedy end "thereoi`,thefarx'is` of the U' extending!v reversely- Vtoi form a p'aii ciVloops, a, wheele'dshaft, the ends oitlfie loops-bei# ing: securedthereto, a* cross bar; wheeisrnounte onthe-'cross bar,V supportingconnections between` the` cross bar. andi intermediate poiri'ts on 'theloopsgzarod secured-'to the-crossbar 'and'extend ing under the seat, :aconnection' frorn th'efseat tof the rod; i andi a'` detachablelpusherlhandl'el to' Whichithe rodislattached Y 6.' A.v baby walkercomprisingi ashat wheels thereon, a cross bar spaced from the shaft,wheels on "the ba'r, a:springfrodfram'e4 comprising-a niember 'in theshapeofthre'e open loops; whereinthe centeriloop lportion thereof.' isgenerallylfhbri'zonl tal, said; frame. being supported atfspa'c'edpointsi on the shaft .andbarf, `the horizontalfl loop fbeing free andresilient! at ts'lclos'ed' mila-'bucket 'seat on the horizontalfi lo'oplatthe closei i"ie,n"d`rthereof',A

4 a. tray secured to both legs of the horizontal loop at a, point spacedfrom the closed end thereof, an element secured to the tray andextending thereabove and below, a handle at the upper end of theelement, the lower end thereof being secured t0 the seat.

7. The baby walker of` claim 6 including a longitudinal bar secured tothe icrossrf'barkand extending under the seat, and a connection betweenthe longitudinal bar and the seat.

8. The baby walker of claim 6 including a longitudinal stabilizing barsecured to the cross oar and extending under the seat, a lost motionconnectionbetween-the-*longitudinal bar and seat. :a pusherhandl'anddetachable connection therefo'i'to the longitudinal bar.

Q @Af.device-oiY the class described comprising a wheeled shaft, aspring rod frame in the form ofthree open loops, one of the loops beingcentral and generally horizontal and the other two loops depending"kthere'fro'inand extending* re-. Versely thereto? said-twolops'fbei-rg'igei'ierli vertical, the wheeled'sh'aftibeingfsecredttlivertical loopsfat their vclosedy ehdstad'jbertfthe open endl'ofthe-'horizon'tal loop`, `whe'ele''i-Iiiears connecteur@and'supportingthelfranie atapeiii't reinot'efrom'the shaft, a seatsuspendedlfronilth' horizontal; loop' at' theclo's'd end "theieof a "eliseatsupporting means secure'lto th'e seat' to `theiranie adjacentv the-onen fend or' tlieilio'ri zontalloop.`

REFERENCES-errno; Trie'renewingl vreferences are offrecord '1n'-` theme' er this patent:

UNITED- sfinira"s2.reiinfnirrsi1-`

